258 



NATURE 



{July 20, 1876 



we would mention the following. Investigators would be 

 saved much time and labour by being enabled to see how 

 far, and by what processes, others have advanced in the 

 line of research which they may be pursuing : thus leading 

 them to a knowledge of the facts and laws already esta- 

 blished. From an educational point of view such a 

 collection would assist teachers, by enabling them to 

 select, or by showing them how to construct, the best 

 apparatus for illustrating the subjects of their lessons. 

 Great benefit would also accrue to the constructors of 

 Mechanical and Philosophical Apparatus from being able 

 to refer to the original Apparatus which they might be 

 required to reproduce or to improve. To every one con- 

 nected with Experimental Science, it would be of great 

 service to see the actual instruments, many of which could 

 otherwise be only known to them by description, and, 

 under proper supervision and instruction to learn their 

 actual manipulation and performance. We would also 

 contemplate lending to investigators, under suitable re- 

 strictions, such instruments as might be profitably 

 employed in the researches they were pursuing. 



In considering this subject our attention has naturally 

 been directed to the existmg Museum of Patents. While 

 fully recognising the value of many of the objects now 

 belonging to that collection, we are of opinion that, as 

 standing alone and purely as subjects of a patent, their 

 value is far less than if they formed part of a general col- 

 lection, and were placed in juxtaposition with instruments 

 of a similar nature, some of which, though not patented, 

 are better adapted to their purpose, and of greater in- 

 structional value. The object of a Scientific Museum is 

 the promotion of knowledge, and the establishment of 

 the scientific principles which must underlie all invention ; 

 and it would not only prove of great advantage to both 

 scientific investigators and the public if the two objects 

 could be combined in one undertaking, but we believe 

 that the objects of a Patent Museum would be better 

 served by a museum of the character here proposed than 

 by a special collection, such as has hitherto subsisted. 

 We are decidedly of opinion that the state of knowledge 

 in reference to any invention would be only very imper- 

 fectly represented by the exhibition of patented instr u- 

 ments and products only. 



In support of the views which we have ventured to 

 submit, we would draw your Grace's attention to the 

 Fourth Report of the Royal Commission on Scientific 

 Instruction, §§ 80-94. In § 93 the Commission state : — 

 " We accordingly recommend the formation of a Collec- 

 tion of Physical and Mechanical Instruments ; and we 

 submit for consideration whether it may not be expedient 

 that this Collection, the Collection of the Patent Museum, 

 and of the Scientific and Educational Department of the 

 South Kensington Museum should be united and placed 

 under the authority of a Minister of State." 



We understand that the Royal Commission for the 

 Exhibition of 185 1 has offered to erect a building for the 

 purpose contemplated in this memorial, and we would 

 desire to point out that the purchase of objects need not 

 entail any large outlay of public money. We contem- 

 plate the gradual forniation of a collection of such objects 

 as might be voluntarily left at the close of the existing 

 Loan Collection, and others which might be contributed 

 from the existing Patent Museum and other public 

 departments, from the parliamentary grants administered 

 at the request of Government by the Royal Society, and 

 from such private societies and individuals as might be 

 disposed to avail themselves of the Museum as a deposi- 

 tory of scientific apparatus, appliances, and chemical 

 products. 



We have the honour to be, my Lord Duke, 



Your Grace's obedient Servants, 



(Signed) J. D. Hooker, President of the Royal Society. 



John Evans, F. R. S. , Chairman of the Conferences in 

 the Geographical Section. 



E. Frankland, F.R.S., Chairman of the Conferences in 



the Chemical Section. 



J. Burdon Sanderson, F.R. S., Chairman of the Con- 

 ferences in the Biological Section. 



C. W. Siemens, F.R.S., Chairman of the Conferences 

 in the Mechanical Section. 



W. Spottiswoode, Treasurer -and Vice-President R.S., 

 Chairman of the Conferences in the Physical Sec- 

 tion. 



Cha'Jcs Brooke, F.R.S. 



Alfred S. Churchill, Chairman of the Society of Arts. 



William Kitchen Parker, F.R.S. 



H. W. Bristow, F.R.S., Director of the Geological 

 Survey of England. 



William B. Carpenter, F.R.S. 



Latimer Clark, late President Soc. Tel. Engineers. 



W. H. Flower, F.R.S., Conservator Hunterian Mu- 

 seum. 



J. H. Gilbert, F.R.S. 



Robert Main, F.R.S., Radcliffe Observer. 



Fredk. Jno. Evans, V.P.R.S., Capt. R.N., Ilydro- 

 grapher of the Navy. 



P. de M. Grey Egerton, F.R.S. 



Hampton, F.R.S., President of the Institute of Naval 

 Architects. 



Joseph Prestwich, F.R.S. 



T. M. Good eve, M.A. 



W. de W. Abney, Capt. R.E., F.R.S. 



G. W. Royston Pigott, M.A., M.D., F.R.S. 



Robert H. Scott, F.R.S., Director Meteorological 

 Office. 



George Robert Stephenson, F.R.S., President Institute 

 Civil Engineers. 



F. H. Wenham. 

 George Bentham, F.R.S. 

 Nevil S. Maskelyne, F.R.S. 



H. S. Eaton, President of the Meteorological Society. 



E. Atkinson, Treasurer of the Physical Society. 



F. A. Abel, F.R.S., President of the Chemical Society. 

 T. Hawksley, President of the Institute of Mechanical 



Engineers, past President of the Institute of Civil 



Engineers. 

 William H. Stone, F.R.C.P., &c. 

 W. J. Russell, F.R.S. 

 David Forbes, F. R. S. 

 Richd. Collinson, Vice- Admiral, Deputy Master of the 



Trinity House. 



B. Woodcroft, F.R.S., late Superintendent of Patent 



Office Museum. 



C. W. Merrifield, F.R.S. 



Andw. C. Ramsay, F.R.S., Director General Geo- 

 logical Survey. 



C. P. B. Shelley. 



James Baillie Hamilton. 



F. Eardley-Wilnaot, F.R.S., Major- General. 



Henry Cole. 



Warren De La Rue, F.RS. 



Frederick Guthrie, F.R.S., Prof. Physics, Royal School 

 of Mines. 



C. O. F. Cator. 

 Thomas Savage. 



Alfred Barry, D.D., Principal of King's College 



Wm. Chappell, F.S.A. 



A. J. Mundella, M.P. 



William C. Unwin, Prof. Engineering, Indian C. E. 



College. 

 George T. Clark. 

 Joseph Woolley, LL.D. 

 John F. Twisden. 



Richard Strachey, Major- General, F.R.S. 

 Prank Bolton. 



D. Glasgow. 



William Rutherford, M.D., F.R.S. 



Henry E. Rcscoe, F.R.S. 



J. Hopkinson. 



A. W. Reirold. 



John Tyndall, F.R.S. 



JohnTorr, M.P. 



Aberdare, President of the Royal Horticultural Society. 



Robert James Mann, M. D. 



Albert Giinther, V.P.R.S. 



